Modern inventory and logistical systems, such as those involving mail-order warehouses, airport luggage systems, custom-order manufacturing facilities, and freight carriers, face significant challenges in logistics and storage for items of varying sizes and weights. In inventory systems tasked with transporting, storing, and moving large items with high throughput, delays in transferring inventory items between carriers and storage facilities can significantly impact efficiencies. Furthermore, in inventory systems that require moving groups of large items, the process of breaking up or recombining groups of items for storage is often labor-intensive and can exacerbate risks of damage or mishandling of items.
Existing inventory and logistical systems employ pallets to carry inventory items, individually or in groups. In some cases, pallets can include features that retain the inventory items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,540,139 discloses a pallet that includes a frame extending upward from a pallet. In general, pallets without built-in features for retaining items provide less secure storage; while pallets with built-in features are more difficult to store and to load or unload. Thus, the inventors have identified a need for pallets that can retain inventory items securely without obstructing the loading or unloading process.